Risk assessment vs risk management vs health and safety

Residential Security Handbook 2021: Secure Living Residential Estate (Industry), Security Services & Risk Management, Products & Solutions

Risk management and a security risk assessment are often seen as the same thing, when in fact, they are two vastly different things. The security risk assessor’s question is not if you have security, but rather if you have a security risk assessment. The general perception is that a security risk assessment and security is the same thing, however, these two concepts are two very different things, related, but different.


Andre Mundell.

We believe that the risks need to be identified first before any management can take place. Security risk assessments specialise in the identification of security risks. The best way to describe a security risk assessment is as a ‘crime fighting tool’ and it only works if it is done independently. This consists of finding the security risks that provide opportunities for crime.

When conducting a security risk assessment, the assessor looks at outer crime as well as inner crime. Most people only look at outer crime and do not consider inner crime to be a concerning factor. In most cases, it is the inner crime factor that brings estates and companies to their knees.

A security risk assessment is an in-depth investigation into your current security measures to establish if there are any risks. When the risks are identified, the assessor finds suitable, risk-specific solutions to eliminate these risks. Some risks cannot be covered by security hardware; however, the assessor provides ample advice in the security plan that will eliminate these risks by means of processes, protocols and the application of security knowledge and understanding.


Once all the risks are identified and the assessor has found suitable solutions to eliminate the risks, he/she compiles all the information into a document that gets handed over to the client. When a security risk assessment report is read and understood, the risk manager can take over as he now knows and understands what the risks are and will be able to manage these risks in accordance with the security risk assessment.

Working under the risk manager, you will usually find a security manager, health and safety manager, building manager, and sometimes an asset manager.

When it comes to health and safety, we are dealing with the ‘probability’ or ‘likelihood’ of something, like an accident. A security risk assessment, on the other hand, looks at the opportunities for crime and when specific risks are identified, measures are put in place to manage these risks.

Keep in mind that the Health and Safety Act states that the business/company must ensure that no harm comes to employees or visitors. When this is interpreted correctly, the protection of employees and visitors includes security and crime as well. In South Africa, health and safety is governed by the law which means that it will automatically come first and take up most of the time and focus. Physical security is almost always neglected and left behind.

Neither of these aspects, whether it is risk management, health and safety, or physical security, are more important than the other. They are not the same, in fact, they are vastly different and should all be managed accordingly. In addition, health and safety, risk management and physical security must be managed by separate individuals and not one person alone.

If security is not managed as it should be, and the risks are not identified, the door is wide open for crime.


Credit(s)




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Chubbsafes celebrates 190 years
Gunnebo Safe Storage Africa News & Events Security Services & Risk Management
Chubbsafes marks its 190th anniversary in 2025 and as a highlight of the anniversary celebrations it is launching the Chubbsafes 1835, a limited edition 190th-anniversary collector’s safe.

Read more...
New law enforcement request portal
News & Events Security Services & Risk Management
inDrive launches law enforcement request portal in South Africa to support safety investigations. New portal allows authorised South African law enforcement officials to securely request user data related to safety incidents.

Read more...
Continuous AML risk monitoring
Access Control & Identity Management Security Services & Risk Management Financial (Industry)
AU10TIX, launched continuous risk monitoring as part of its advanced anti-money laundering (AML) solution, empowering businesses to detect behavioural anomalies and emerging threats as they arise.

Read more...
Advanced surveillance storage from ASBIS
Infrastructure Surveillance Products & Solutions
From a video storage solutions perspective, SkyHawk drives, designed for DVRs and NVRs, offer high capacity, optimised firmware, and a reliability workload rating of hundreds of terabytes per year.

Read more...
SAFPS issues SAPS impersonation scam warning
News & Events Security Services & Risk Management
The Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS) is warning the public against a scam in which scammers pose as members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and trick and intimidate individuals into handing over personal and financial information.

Read more...
Rewriting the rules of reputation
Technews Publishing Editor's Choice Security Services & Risk Management
Public Relations is more crucial than ever in the generative AI and LLMs age. AI-driven search engines no longer just scan social media or reviews, they prioritise authoritative, editorial content.

Read more...
How can South African organisations fast-track their AI initiatives?
AI & Data Analytics Security Services & Risk Management
While the AI market in South Africa is anticipated to grow by nearly 30% annually over the next five years, tapping into the promise and potential of AI is not easy.

Read more...
Efficient, future-proof estate security and management
Technews Publishing ElementC Solutions Duxbury Networking Fang Fences & Guards Secutel Technologies OneSpace Technologies DeepAlert SMART Security Solutions Editor's Choice Information Security Security Services & Risk Management Residential Estate (Industry) AI & Data Analytics IoT & Automation
In February this year, SMART Security Solutions travelled to Cape Town to experience the unbelievable experience of a city where potholes are fixed, and traffic lights work; and to host the Cape Town SMART Estate Security Conference 2025.

Read more...
DoorBell with built-in AI
Ajax Systems Access Control & Identity Management Products & Solutions Smart Home Automation
Ajax Systems has announced the release of Ajax DoorBell, which features built-in AI, an IR sensor, and app control, seamlessly integrating into the Ajax ecosystem to ensure efficiency and security confidence.

Read more...
Kaspersky KATA 7.0 for targeted attack protection
Information Security Products & Solutions
] Kaspersky has announced a major update to its Kaspersky Anti Targeted Attack (KATA) including enhanced network detection and response (NDR) capabilities with deeper network visibility, internal threats detection and other critical security features.

Read more...